The invention relates to an apparatus and a process for packaging piece goods.
GB-A-1,444,640 describes an apparatus for packaging biscuits which are stacked one above the other. The biscuits are positioned as a stack on a board sleeve. The board sleeve and the biscuits are pushed forward in the conveying direction by means of a carry-along element, the board being folded in a folding station and being introduced into a flexible tube in a following tubular-bag station. The flexible tube is then subdivided into tubular bags in a welding and cutting unit.
It is sometimes desirable, however, for different types of piece goods to be packaged, in a state in which they are located one above the other, in a common tubular bag. For example, there are, in particular, Asiatic noodle dishes in the case of which dried noodles and sauces or spices packaged in small bags are packaged in a common bag. The noodles here are present in the form of a flat mass and do not have any further packaging. A preferred packaging method is one in which the bags are introduced into the tubular bag in a state in which they rest on the flat noodle mass. In this case, the tubular bag is of such narrow design that the piece goods located one above the other are kept in position. The difficulty with this packaging method is that, on account of their shape and on account of the non-planar bearing surface of the flat noodle masses, the bags tend to slip down from this flat noodle mass during transportation to the tubular-bag station. In addition, the transportation becomes less stable as the number of bags positioned on the flat mass increases.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide an apparatus and a process for packaging piece goods by means of which it is possible, in a straightforward and efficient manner, for different piece goods to be introduced reliably, in a state in which they are located one above the other, into a common pack. It is an object of the invention, in particular, to provide an apparatus and a process by means of which it is possible to package the above described noodle dishes.
According to the invention, piece goods of a first type are fed on a first conveyor and piece goods of a second type are arranged, via feed stations, by means of a second conveyor such that the piece goods of the second type are already located one above the other in layers and form groups. The groups of piece goods of the second type are then positioned on the piece goods of the first type. During introduction into the tubular bag, force is applied in order that the grouping maintains its shape. The conveying means includes a stationary surface and first carry along elements. The stationary surface is arranged above the first conveyor and the carry along elements can be moved along this surface in the direction of the first conveyor.
This makes it possible for different types of piece goods which cannot actually be stacked to be arranged reliably one above the other, to be transported reliably in a state in which they are located one above the other, and to be packaged reliably, in this position, in a horizontal tubular-bag machine. The reliable guidance throughout makes it possible for the process to be carried out at high speeds, with the result that the apparatus may have a throughput of up to 400 bags per minute.
The apparatus according to the invention is suitable, in particular, for piece goods of the first type of essentially cubic or flat-cylindrical shape and for piece goods of the second type in the form of flat bags. Even if the piece goods of the first and second types do not have any completely planar bearing surface, and the piece goods of the second type additionally tend to slip down, the apparatus according to the invention allows them to be grouped together and packaged together. In particular it is possible for two or more bags to be positioned on a flat noodle mass and for these to be packaged together in a horizontal tubular-bag machine.
It is advantageous, furthermore, that the apparatus according to the invention can be used for different combinations of piece goods. In addition, it can easily be adapted to different sizes of piece goods.
In a straightforward embodiment, the conveying means is merely formed by carry-along elements and the piece goods of the second type are positioned directly on the piece-goods article of the first type by the second conveyor. A preferred embodiment, however, provides a stationary surface, a so-called dead plate, along which the piece goods of the second type, in layered groups, are pushed before they are deposited on the piece goods of the first type. This makes it possible to select as desired the distance between the point at which the groups are formed and the point at which packaging in the tubular bags takes place.
In a further preferred embodiment, a second conveyor is arranged beneath each feed station, the second conveyor having a downwardly directed abutment surface for conveying the piece goods of the second type.
Further advantageous embodiments may be gathered from the dependent patent claims.